The Year Is Over!

My first full year of teaching is over and I helped line up and march through our 640graduates on sunday afternoon. I could tell you it has been a fun and easy year but it hasn't. New superintendent, new principal, new everything this year it seems made for a very stressful year. But I made it! I've spent a lot of time griping about the bad things and talking about the problems. So I will dedicate THIS post to the successes!

My Junior Achievement group in 5th period--oh how I will miss you! You are the group I got to practice on, like my first baby. Boy, how it paid off. A trophy at Trade Fair and the big Company of the Year Award at the banquet a few weeks ago. Achiever of the year Award too! Watching you take you practical final, where you had to form a company, create a product, and produce an annual report all in an hour and a half was priceless. Sunday I watched Soroush, Fount, Mona, Jenny, Sandra and Kim get their diplomas. I cried because they are all MY children now.

A few BCIS students will always stick in my mind. Carolina--you may have been shy and never talked, but you always gave 110% and it paid off with a perfect 100 the second semester! Trevor--you always kept me honest and corrected me when I was wrong, at least once a class period. Mikel-you will make a great engineer. Thank you for your curiosity, and your daily updates about the top stories on CNN when you were supposed to be working on your classwork. "Zach and Cody"--nicknamed such because he strongly resembles those twins on "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody"--I inherited you because you were a problem in someone elses classroom. The real problem was you were smarter than the teacher! Thank you for ALWAYS keeping me on my toes! My sweet, sweet ESL class 6th period--I finally gave in and let you do your final presentations mostly in Spanish about your home countries. I will never forget Emma from Nigeria, in full Nigerian dress, explaining about the horrors she left in her home country and her immigration to the United States. I will never take my life for granted again. And Mel-oh Mel. I didn't think you were going to make it, Mel. A Katrina kid with so many hardships. Problems containing yourself in class all year. You stuck in out, you passed, and you gave me a big hug the last day and said "I love you Mrs. Clayton" and made me cry.

And to Damian, Damian the flirt who asked me to dance at Prom, Damian the cheerful pill in the classroom, Damian who discovered last Friday that he would not walk in graduation with his class due to a missing science credit. Damian who I sat with my arm around consoling while his class was rehearsing for graduation. Damian--I will be there in August when you DO make it like I promised you. Don't let me down.

My first children--you have grown up and flown the nest! I have learned from you and you have made me a better teacher! Have a great summer all!